The Peace Festival
by Born in the Flames
Summary: Temari travels to Konoha in order to help them organize a festival, but how will she deal with having to work with the lazy Shikamaru? Will love spark or frustration and anger rage?
1. A New Mission To Konoha!

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

Chapter 1: A New Mission to Konoha! (Rewritten)

Temari walked into the room of the Kazekage to see Gaara standing and gazing out at the village through a window. "You wanted to see me, Kazekage?" Temari asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Gaara?" He asked, "We're siblings after all."

"I'm sorry, Gaara, it's just that well you are the Kazekage now," she answered.

Gaara simply smiled and continued, "Konoha is throwing a festival in honour of the peace between our nations. They want a Sand representative to be there and help organize the event."

"And you've chosen me?"

"Yes, you will head to Konoha first thing tomorrow."

"Of course, Kaze …" she stopped herself and smiled, "Gaara."

After days of travel Temari finally reached Konoha. "Haven't changed much, have you?" Temari said to herself, but a voice up ahead shouted, "Temari!" Temari looked up to see Sakura running toward her and waving. They greeted each other talking about Temari's trip while heading to the Hokage to let them know she had arrived. As they turned a corner there was a flash of pony-tailed black hair that crashed right into Temari! The two fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "Sorry," a male voice said, "But I'm in a bit in a hurry."

"I can see that," Temari answered and she was just about to ask who he was since the voice sounded familiar, but was interrupted.

"There you are!" a high, pitched girly voice shouted.

"Man, this is such a drag," the male voice said, "Gotta run!" And before Temari could get a good look at him he ran off and soon after a figure with shiny, blonde hair also ran in the same direction. "Well, that was weird," Temari said, "Do you know them?"

"Well, the girl was most definitely Ino," Sakura answered, "While the guy I didn't really get a good look at him, probably Ino's next victim."

"Victim?" Temari asked.

"Yeah, every few months she gets this new huge crush on a guy and will do absolutely anything for them. It only makes it worse when you play hard to get like that guy was doing." Temari sighed; she really hated the way girls always swooned over a guy just because of their looks. She was more a girl of substance, she wanted a man who was hard working and had the brains to match. While thinking these things the two had already made it to the Hokage's office where Lady Tsunade greeted them and welcomed Temari back to Konoha.

"I trust the Kazekage has already filled you in on the details?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, he has," Temari answered.

"Very good," Tsunade said, "Izumo! Kotetsu!" Suddenly two jets of cloud erupted on either side of Lady Tsunade and out of them came two Konoha shinobi.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," they said.

"Inform the festival committee that the Sand representative has arrived," Tsunade instructed, "And that their first meeting will be tomorrow afternoon!"

"Yes, Lord Hokage," they replied and disappeared in yet two other jets of cloud. Just then a knock sounded on the door. "Lord Hokage," a voice said and Temari's eyes widened for it was the very same voice that belonged to the guy who bumped into her earlier on!

"Speak of the devil, come in!" Tsunade answered. The door opened for what seemed a lifetime to Temari who was waiting in anticipation to see whose familiar voice that was. When it was completely open who stood in the doorway, but the lazy cloud gazer. "Shikamaru Nara, your festival co-organizer."

"Hey Temari," Shikamaru greeted, "So your my Sand co-organizer, huh?"

"_So I'll be working with Shikamaru, huh?" _Temari thought, _"This will be interesting."_

"You'll also be staying with Shikamaru in his apartment," Tsunade announced.

"What!" The two exclaimed in unison, "Why?"

"Well, it'll be better for you to get to know each other since you'll be working with each other for a period of time," Tsunade explained, "Oh and you can also do extra planning right into the middle of the night."

"Aw man, this is such a drag, I just got the apartment and a troublesome woman is already moving in," Shikamaru complained as he sighed and turned toward the door, "Follow me." Temari did as he said and they both exited the building. Tsunade then sunk back into her chair and sighed.

"_Do well you two," _she thought to herself, _"Man I need some sake." _She then went and opened a secret compartment in one of her drawers. There lay a bottle of sake. She picked it up and shook the contents. "It's almost empty," she said to herself, "Oh well, might as well make the most of it." Just as she started pouring it down her throat with one experienced flick of her wrist, the door flew open and the sake sprayed all over her desk before she could swallow it!

"Lord Hokage!" The chunin shinobi said as he stepped through the door, but suddenly stopped taking in the scene.

"Don't you knock?!" Tsunade yelled, "That was my last bit of sake! I'm going to kill you!" Meanwhile in another part of Konoha, Temari and Shikamaru walked the streets. There was an awkward silence between them and Temari was getting uncomfortable. She made a few half-hearted attempts to break the silence which soon fizzled out until suddenly her stomach growling decided to do the job for her. "You hungry or something?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well yeah, obviously," Temari retorted. Shikamaru looked around and saw that the Ichiraku Ramen place was near.

"This is such a drag. C'mon let's go eat," he said and she had no choice, but to follow. They were halfway through their awkwardly silent meal when Naruto suddenly burst into the ramen bar and when he saw the two a big, cheesy grin grew on his face. "I knew it!" Naruto exclaimed, "You two ARE a couple!"

"What!"Temari scoffed.

"Shut up, Naruto," Shikamaru grumbled, "Can't a guy have lunch with a girl without everyone thinking it's a date? So troublesome."

"Hmph, well one day you'll see," Naruto insisted, "And you Shikamaru will not be able to weasel your way out of it! Believe it!" Angrily ordering the Miso ramen, Naruto slurped his noodles beside them while shooting disbelieving glances at them every few seconds.

Shikamaru surprised Temari by paying for the meal before she could even reach for her pocket of money! Leaving Naruto with a knowing smirk on his face, they continued towards Shikamaru's place. Temari complained, "I could've paid for myself y'know."

"A woman shouldn't have to pay, even a troublesome one like you," was all Shikamaru said. Even though he called her troublesome, Temari couldn't help but blush at his gentlemanly ways.

To Temari's surprise, Shikamaru's place was untidy, but not as bad as she had imagined. Her eyes swept past the kitchen and the small, but comfortable living room to notice with relief that there were two bedrooms. Shikamaru waved her to the room on the right and started to turn away when he noticed just in time that she hadn't seen the small step.

"Wait there's a step!" Shikamaru cried, but it was too late! Temari had already tripped and was falling towards the floor, but his strong arms caught her just in time! "What a drag," he said, "A troublesome _and _clumsy woman." Temari then noticed how close they were, close enough that she could feel Shikamaru's warm breath on her cheek and it made her blush furiously.

"Are you alright?" Shikamaru asked, "You've gone all red."

"I-I'm fine," Temari replied. A sudden movement caught their eye and both looked to see a pair of dark blue eyes below a mass of spiky, blonde hair peeping through the window.

"Naruto!" they shouted.

**A/N: So there you go chapter one and for those who've already read this you might've noticed that I meshed the two previous chapters into one with a few adjustments. This was thanks to someone giving me advice that I needed to start with more of a punch! Reviews are much appreciated!**

**-Born in the Flames **


	2. Temari's Feelings

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed, put this story in your favourites and followed! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

Chapter 2: Temari's Feelings

"Naruto!" they both shouted. The blonde haired ninja was so surprised at being caught so soon that he fell from the two story window he was peeping in! Luckily before he hit the ground a thin wire wrapped itself around his leg and stopped his fall. Naruto looked up to see that Temari on the other end. She started pulling him up with Shikamaru's help. Minutes later Naruto was safely inside Shikamaru's apartment. "Thanks heaps guys!" Naruto said, "I thought for sure …" Before he could finish his sentence he was interrupted by a sharp slap across his face by Temari.

"What the hell was that for?!" Naruto demanded.

"Like you don't know," Temari retorted.

"Such a drag," Shikamaru complained, "Peeking at people's private business."

"Aha! So you were doing something!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Idiot, Temari simply fell and I caught her," Shikamaru explained.

"Mhm, a likely cover story," Naruto smirked. Temari had had enough! So with daggers she looked him right in the eye. Naruto gulped.

"Listen here, squirt," Temari threatened, "Me and Shikamaru are not a couple. So drop it or you won't like the consequences." With that she stormed toward her room, but on the way she once again tripped on yet another step! Luckily this time she was able to keep her balance.

"Man! I hate these freaking steps!" She cursed. When she was safely inside her room she slammed the door.

"Shikamaru, you have one strange taste in women," Naruto commented.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? We're not together," Shikamaru said feeling annoyed.

"Sure, sure," Naruto teased as he exited Shikamaru's apartment. Finally Shikamaru was all alone. He sighed, thinking how troublesome it was that Temari had to stay with him and how Naruto wasn't dropping the crazy thought that Temari and him were a couple! _"What a drag,"_Shikamaru thought.

Meanwhile inside the room Temari collapsed onto the single bed as emotions started boiling inside her. She had shown weakness in front of Shikamaru and absolutely hated it! What made it even worse was that she blushed bright red right in front of him! It was so embarrassing! But why did she blush? Was it possible that she actually liked the lazy cloud gazer? No! She was just embarrassed because she tripped. That's all it was, right?! Temari sighed and so to take her mind off the pineapple head she started to unpack her things. Then after everything was in its place, smelling the odour of travel on her, she decided to go have a shower. When she opened the door there was a towel hanging on the doorknob with a note that said: **Just in case you want to have a shower. **_"Perfect," _she thought as she took it and headed for the bathroom. When she was at the door she listened for a moment to hear any noises of the shower running or … any other sounds to make sure that she wasn't going to walk in on Shikamaru. She heard nothing so she put her hand on the doorknob, but at the same time it turned from the other side! Temari quickly let go and the door swung open revealing Shikamaru who only had a towel wrapped around his waist! Temari couldn't help but notice the defined muscles and the visible six-pack. As a result she blushed the second time in one day. "Hm, you gonna take a shower?" he asked.

"Obviously," she replied lowering her head in a desperate attempt to hide her red cheeks.

"It's polite to look at someone when you're talking to them," he commented. That did it, if there was one thing Temari didn't like it was being lectured, especially if the person was younger! Her blush was replaced by a look of frustration and she boldly looked up at Shikamaru. "There! Is that better?" she asked defiantly. Shikamaru was speechless at the sudden outburst. Temari then pushed past him and closed the bathroom door. "What's with her?" Shikamaru asked himself.

In the shower Temari was thinking the same thing. _"What's with me today?" _She thought, _"Why am I acting this way? I'm taking out all my emotions on Shikamaru, but why? Before I always showed him my soft side, but not this time. This is so confusing!" _Minutes later Temari ran across the room so Shikamaru hopefully wouldn't see her in just a towel like she had seen him. Fortunately she made it safely to her room and changed into something comfortable, a light purple T-Shirt and white shorts. Then she took out her book, plopped on her bed and began reading, getting lost in the world of the book.

Hours later Shikamaru called her and very reluctantly Temari shut her book and went into the living room. She found Shikamaru setting the table with four place mats, silverware and plates with delicious looking meals on them. The smell was so good that it made her moan in delight. She then noticed that he had also done a quick clean, everything was straight and in its right place. "What's the occasion?" Temari inquired.

"Mum and Dad are coming over for dinner," Shikamaru replied, "I hope you like pasta. It's my Mum's favourite dish I make."

"Wait! You cooked this?" Temari asked in amazement.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, you're so lazy I didn't expect you to cook your own meals."

"It's a drag and quite troublesome, but hey, a man's gotta eat."

"Good point."

Just then they heard a knock on the door and Shikamaru went quickly to open it. Temari simply stood there feeling a bit nervous that she was going to meet Shikamaru's parents. Hopefully they wouldn't get the wrong idea like Naruto did. As she was thinking these things Shikamaru came around the corner with a woman with long black hair who seemed to be scolding him on something and a man with same pony tail hair as Shikamaru. _"Definitely Shikamaru's father," _Temari thought. It was a few seconds later that the two adults noticed Temari standing there.

"Oh, Shikamaru is that my future daughter-in-law?" his mother asked in a sing song voice.

"_Great …" _Temari thought, _"Someone else who thinks we're a couple."_

**A/N: So there's chapter two! What do you reckon, is Temari in denial or is it just because of the awkward situations she's thrown in? Tune in next time to see how Shikamaru's parents react to a girl staying with their son, also find out how the first meeting of the festival committee goes. Please review and I'll see you all next time!**

**-Born in the Flames**


	3. Shikamaru's Predicament

**A/N: Again thanks to all who have reviewed and followed! I'd also like to thank avatarlemon for the advice; I'll definitely try to improve in that area.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

Chapter 3: Shikamaru's Predicament

"Oh, Shikamaru is that my future daughter-in-law?" Shikamaru's mother asked in a sing song voice. Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes.

"No Mum, this is just Temari my co-organizer for the peace festival," Shikamaru explained.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Shikamaru's Mum said as she went over and shook Temari's hand.

"You too, Mrs Nara," Temari replied.

"Oh please, call me Yoshino," she insisted, "And this is my husband, Shikaku." Shikaku then went over, smiled and also shook Temari's hand.

"Will you be joining us for dinner this evening?" He asked.

"Of course she will, she's staying here," Shikamaru announced answering for Temari. Shikaku raised an eyebrow, but Yoshino took it the worse. She started bombarding Shikamaru with angry questions, like was he trying to make a move on Temari and many other things that made both Shikamaru and Temari bright red in the face. Finally Shikamaru was able to calm her down by telling her that it was the Hokage's orders. They then all sat down at the table and began the warm meal. Temari was surprised, how good it tasted. She glanced at the young pineapple head; to think that he could cook this good, what was more impressive was how he even took the time to learn such a skill. During the meal they had a nice, warm conversation, even though it was Yoshino and Temari who were doing most of the talking. Though the two men did laugh and comment at the appropriate moments. It eventually got to the point where the two women became rather good friends. Shikamaru thought it was only natural; the two had the same personality type and even some of the same interests! Before Shikamaru's parents went to leave, Shikaku asked to talk to Shikamaru in private. So the two left the women and went onto the solitude of the balcony. "She's a nice girl," Shikaku said. Shikamaru just smiled as he thought fondly of the blonde, spunky konoichi from Suna.

"Reminds me of your mother at that age," Shikaku continued. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and then realization dawned on him as he figured out the real reason for this conversation.

"Dad, Temari and me are just friends and that's all it will ever be," Shikamaru explained, "I'm not even sure if 'friends' is the right word."

"Maybe that's all you're allowing the relationship to be, you can't be sure if you don't take a leap of faith," Shikaku advised and Shikamaru just shrugged in reply, so he continued, "When you're young and single you gotta keep your eyes open because the one who you were made for, might just slip by you. Even if that someone is a 'troublesome woman' as you call it."

"It's not that I wouldn't like that kind of relationship with her, it's just …" Shikamaru stopped.

"Just what?" Shikaku prodded. For Shikamaru this conversation was so embarrassing! Especially since it was two men discussing it, the usual conversation would be about battle tactics or about the good old days. Women did sneak into the chat every now and then, but that was mostly because they thought the woman was hot or something. "It's just that, aw man this is such a drag," Shikamaru complained getting red in the cheeks, "It's just that I don't think she likes me the same way I like her."

That night Shikamaru was having a hard time getting to sleep. He tossed and turned, but whenever he stopped he thought of Temari which caused him to move again! Finally he fell asleep, but his dreams were filled with memories of him catching the blonde konoichi, how close they were and how an adorable blush had crept up onto her cheeks. He had decided to play the fool then because he didn't want her thinking he was taking advantage, but how he had been urging to do something, anything to show her how he felt. Her regained consciousness and his eyes opened to see that it was still dark. He looked over at his clock and read: **12:07 AM. **So not feeling like going back to sleep and feeling a tad hungry, he slipped out of bed and exited his room. He had just reached the kitchenette when some movement caught his eye so he looked over his back to see Temari stepping into the living room from the balcony! Luckily she was still looking out so he had time to duck under an open part of the kitchen counter. It was just then that he noticed he was just wearing his boxers! _"How troublesome," _Shikamaru thought, _"I didn't think she would be up at this hour so I didn't bother putting any shorts on!"_ At the same time he also noticed her footsteps getting closer! Was Temari coming into the kitchenette?! Shikamaru made a split-second decision and moved quickly over to the opposite side of the counter that he guessed she was coming from. It was the right decision because a moment later Temari appeared and went straight for the fridge. When Shikamaru noticed she was occupied with trying to find a midnight-snack he decided to make a quiet dash toward his room, but just as he was about to turn to his left he heard the fridge door shut! So with another split-second decision he burst into the room that was directly to his right, a room that he now realized was Temari's room! _"What a drag?!" _Shikamaru thought. He contemplated going out, but then she would think he was creep snooping around in her room! Or he could stay and hide, but if he was caught she would think he was an even bigger creep! What a troublesome situation Shikamaru has gotten himself into. Just then he heard nearing footsteps and Shikamaru quickly hid under her bed! Sure enough Temari came into the room and crashed onto the bed. _"This is gonna be a long night," _Shikamaru told himself.

**A/N: Last time I said there'd be the first meeting of the festival committee and I'm sorry for not writing it, but I couldn't help stopping the chapter right there and giving you all a good cliff-hanger (I can be quite evil at times). So I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you all next time! Oh and please review! **

**-Born in the Flames **


	4. A Closet Pervert?

**A/N: A special thanks to mep439 and avatarlemon, I just want to thank you guys for continuing to review, it's really meant a lot, thanks so much guys! And to all those who have recently followed I'd like to say welcome and I hope you'll continue to enjoy this fanfic. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

Chapter 4: A Closet Pervert?

Sakura was sitting on a bench sipping a cup of tea while Ino who was admiring a picture of Shikamaru beside her. "Oh, Shikamaru," Ino purred seductively.

"Can you stop that?! It's damn creepy!" Sakura complained feeling annoyed. Just then the sky seemed to get darker and the two looked up to see a strange object blocking the sun. "What is that?"

At the same time in another part of Konoha someone else noticed the strange object. It was none other than Kiba Inuzuka. _"Weird," _He thought and used his nose to try to find out what that thing was, his eyes widened, _"Is that …?!"_

A few moments later Naruto abruptly woke to the sound of a crash! His eyes scanned past the new hole in his roof to see a body lying on the floor. That body belonged to the one and only Shikamaru Nara, the lazy cloud gazer. "Troublesome woman," he said.

**-**_**Flashback**_**- **

Shikamaru woke that morning to the sound of moving blankets and when he opened his eyes he had no idea where he was. Then the memories of last night crashed into him like a freight train. Somewhere along the line he had fallen asleep and so unwillingly stayed the night under Temari's bed. _"This is such a drag," _Shikamaru thought. Just then a pair of legs swung themselves over the side of the bed. He could see in the mirror opposite him that Temari was sitting with her face in her hands, probably trying to become fully awake. Then with a yawn she stood and to Shikamaru's shock started undressing! Within a few minutes she was only clad in her dark purple underwear revealing a beautifully curved figure, not too skinny and just right for Shikamaru, he didn't like it when girls starved themselves to death just to look 'good'. His face turned as red as a tomato and he could swear he felt a nose bleed coming on. Then Temari then started reaching for the back of her bra so she could take it off! Shikamaru's heart was thumping so fast and hard he didn't know how she couldn't hear it. The bra came undone and by now blood was pouring from his nose. **(A/N: Who knew Shikamaru was such a perv?) **In fact he got so excited that his head moved on its own in order to get a better look, but he completely forgot he was under a bed and hit his head making an awfully loud noise!"Ow!" Shikamaru cried in pain, but quickly shut his mouth. It was too late now, Temari was aware of his presence.

"What the …!" Temari exclaimed.

"_What should I do?! What should I do?!" _Shikamaru frantically asked himself. He could use the teleportation jutsu, but she probably would guess it was him even if he did. He could hit her when she looked down to knock her out, but he couldn't hit a woman! There was only one thing to do. He needed to go out from under this bed and explain to her, he needed to face the situation like a man. His pride, honour and dignity were at stake here. So with a swift move he got up from under the bed. For a moment Temari stood there in shock, but quickly realizing that she was just in her underwear with the bra almost falling off she desperately covered herself with her hands.

"What the hell were you doing under my bed?!" Temari demanded.

"I can explain!" Shikamaru defended.

"Yeah, well you can explain to my fist, you disgusting pervert!" Temari retorted as she gave Shikamaru a hard right uppercut. It was so hard in fact that Shikamaru was sent flying into the air creating a new sky light in the guest room. **(A/N: I know Temari doesn't have Tsunade-like strength, but it's for comical reasons. XP) **

_**-End of Flashback- **_

"I get it, so she caught you peeping," Naruto confirmed.

"I wasn't peeping, it was a simple case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Shikamaru corrected.

"Sure, sure," Naruto teased. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"How troublesome, I can't believe she thought I was taking a peek," Shikamaru sighed.

"Well you were under her bed and watching her strip."

"I didn't mean to!"

"Then why didn't you close your eyes? Admit it Shikamaru, you wanted to see." At this Shikamaru became both stunned and speechless. Finally after a minute Shikamaru turned his head with a blush on his cheeks and said, "I would argue with you … but it's too troublesome."

An hour later Shikamaru was walking through the streets of Konoha, but he wasn't just in his boxers anymore. Instead he wore an orange and black jacket and black pants, just like Naruto who walked beside him. They got a lot of stares at wearing matching outfits and even some snickers here and there, but Shikamaru didn't care. All he wanted to do was get home so he could settle this misunderstanding with Temari and so she wouldn't thinking he was a 'disgusting pervert' for the rest of her life. What Naruto had said before was partially true, one part of him did want to see it, but there was another part fighting it. He wanted her, but not in this way. He wasn't one to force his way, but take it slow. Shikamaru wanted to let Temari know that he wasn't some creep who just wanted to have sex with her. He wanted her smile, her laughter, her kindness and dare he say it, her spunk too. He wanted her for her not just her body and as cliché as it sounded, he thought, no! He knew Temari was the _one._ And speak of the devil because the Suna konoichi he was just thinking about rounded the corner. At the sight of him Temari got an evil look in her eye and well if looks could kill they would be planning Shikamaru's funeral instead of a peace festival. "I'm going to kill you, teme!" she screamed and ran full sprint at the pineapple head.

"Uh, Shikamaru if I were you, I would run right about now," Naruto advised. For once Shikamaru totally agreed with Naruto and ran from the murderous looking Temari.

"When I get my hands on you, you'll regret trying to 'take a peek'!" she threatened.

"_This is such a drag!" _Shikamaru complained.

The three arrived at the meeting very late and everyone was about to complain, but quickly decided not to when they saw the state they were in. Naruto looked mortally terrified, Temari was still steaming and Shikamaru had a black eye along with other various cuts and bruises. Shikamaru was surprised to see that all of their friends were there, the now grown up rookie nine, Sai and even Gai's team, Neji, Tenten and Lee. The first meeting was all about assigning jobs to everyone. Chouji got the head of the food department spot (of course). Ino became the decoration designer. Naruto was made head of construction. Sakura was assigned sending out invitations and planning and booking events. Sai became the painter for the decorations. Shino would be working under Chouji so no insects would infect the food. Lee was to help the construction crew warm up every morning (they had to give him something didn't they?). Kiba, Hinata, Neji and Tenten were in charge of cleaning up afterwards (with much complaining from both Kiba and Neji). And finally Temari and Shikamaru would approve designs, events and other stuff like that. "So that's all for today, Ino I'd like to see some designs by tomorrow and remember before you make any decisions tell us first okay," Temari finished as everyone nodded in agreement, "My idiot co-organizer, Shikamaru and I would like to thank you all for coming today." The two organizers then left room while the others stayed behind.

"Hm, I wonder why Temari was so upset when she came in?" Sakura wondered.

"Yeah, and why was Shikamaru all beat up?" Chouji pondered.

"Oh, I'll tell you why," Naruto said smirking as everyone's attention turned to him, "It's because Shikamaru's a … closet pervert!"

**A/N: I hope you liked it! Also I'd like to say sorry for painting Shikamaru in such a bad light, but hopefully I helped him atone with that little monologue as he walked through the streets of Konoha. At first it was going to be so much more dramatic than this, but I told myself that it was humor fanfic, not drama so I changed some of the more drama queen moments into funnier ones. Don't forget to review! Until next time, dattebayo! **

**-Born in the Flames**


	5. Movie Night

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and follows, you guys are the best! (Hopefully avatarlemon won't abduct me now lol :P )**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto**

Chapter 5: Movie Night

Temari walked through the village with her head down. She was trying to figure out the mystery that was Shikamaru Nara. He seemed like an honourable guy, but then he went and did something like that! The nerve! Just looking at him was enough to put her into her murderous kunoichi mode! Steam came out of her ears and the people around her made a point to stay away. "Temari!" someone called her name tearing her from her angry thoughts. She turned around to see Sakura running toward her.

"Hey Sakura," Temari greeted.

"The girls and I are going out for a movie tonight, why don't you come?" Sakura invited. Temari did not like that idea, she just wanted a quiet relaxing night where she could think, but on the other hand she also didn't like the idea of spending the whole night with Shikamaru either. "Okay, sounds like fun," Temari said.

"Great!" Sakura exclaimed, "We'll see you at the movie theatre at six, okay?"

"Okay," Temari confirmed.

Temari entered Shikamaru's apartment and went straight for the balcony. She loved it there because it was good place to think, looking out at the village with the breeze in her face. "Here again, huh?" a familiar voice said and she turned her head to see Shikamaru leaning against the doorframe of the balcony.

"Again?" Temari asked.

"You came out here last night," Shikamaru stated.

"What, are you stalking me now?" Temari teased as she turned with a cheeky smile, but Shikamaru only returned his usual lazy look.

"This is such a drag, but I guess I have to tell you the truth of what happened," he said and went into a full explanation about what had really happened. Or what he said what really happened, Temari thought. She wanted to forgive him, but her pride stopped her. Making him suffer for a little longer seemed like a good way to get back. "If you say so," she said. With that she turned and left for her room to get ready for the night out with the girls.

"_Troublesome woman, she won't even believe me when I tell the truth," _Shikamaru thought as he sighed.

Temari arrived at the movie theatre at exactly six o'clock; she was someone who liked to be punctual. There she met Sakura, Hinata and Tenten, but there was no sign of Ino. Not that she was complaining, she and Ino weren't exactly friends. She was just curious and would've thought Ino would've given up everything to be here. "Where's Ino?" Temari asked.

"She's at home working on designs," Sakura answered.

"Ino working?" Tenten asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, can you believe it? She's usually the centre of the party," Sakura said.

"Why the sudden interest in work?" Tenten questioned.

"Well she probably just wants to impress Shikamaru," Sakura replied.

"Ah, of course." They were just about to enter when they heard someone call out to them. They all looked to see Naruto, Kiba, Lee, Neji and Shikamaru walking toward them. "You guys are here too?! What a coincidence!" Kiba exclaimed in what seemed to be a rehearsed voice.

"_Unlikely," _Temari thought and judging by Naruto's particularly goofy grin this wasn't an coincidence at all.

"Why don't we watch a movie together?" Naruto suggested.

"Sounds like fun," Sakura replied.

"_Well at least we won't be watching any sappy romance movies,"_ Temari hoped.

"Hey you guys want to watch 'A Ninja Love Story'?" Sakura asked them.

"Sure, I really want to see that?!" Tenten exclaimed. The guys looked at each other for a minute.

"_They'll never want to watch that, they're probably going to suggest some action flick or something," _Temari thought as she smiled to herself. Thought that hope soon vanished because just then the guys either shrugged or nodded at each other and Naruto announced, "Sure we don't mind!". So, much to Temari's displeasure they all went to watch some romantic drama film.

All of them were now in the theatre sitting in one big row waiting for the movie to start. Temari was on the end sitting next to Shikamaru. "Would you like some of this youthful snack called popcorn, Sakura?!" Lee asked a bit too loud.

"Uh, no thanks, Lee," Sakura said.

"Shhhh, the movie's starting," Tenten whispered. Within the first minutes Temari knew that in no way was she going to like this movie. In fact in ended up being absolute torture!

"I can't, it's wrong," the princess squeaked, but the ninja wasn't giving up and cornered her against the wall.

"But it's so right," he said and the two ended up in a passionate make out session.

"_Ugh, worst movie ever," _Temari thought as she sighed. She looked around, anything was better than watching what was on screen. It looked like Naruto and Kiba were already asleep, Neji was watching with an emotionless expression and Shikamaru had his usual lazy face. The only people in their group that seemed to enjoy it were Lee and the other girls. Then without warning Lee stood up and in a dramatic voice shouted, "What a tremendous display of youth!" This of course earned him many annoyed whispers like "Shhhh!" or "Shut up!" Temari sighed once again and wished she could simply fall asleep like Naruto and Kiba. Though she soon found out that someone else had fallen asleep because all of a sudden she felt this sudden weight on her shoulder, she looked down to see that Shikamaru had lost consciousness and was now leaning on her. Normally she would've protested, but now she couldn't help but smile. Maybe she had finally started to like him, or she felt that it was time to forgive him for the peeping or even it was simply the position they were in, she didn't know. What she did know was that she no longer thought of him as just Shikamaru. Now she thought of him as her Shikamaru.

**A/N: So there you go, chapter 5! Hope you enjoyed it and that little ShikaTema moment at the end. Don't forget to review! Seeya next time!**

**Note: So for the last chapter I got a review that hoped for this to be a 50 or so chapter fanfic telling their whole life story. Honestly when I started I was planning to end it right after the Peace Festival, but now that the idea is in my head … well let's just say there are plans forming in my mind. ^_^**

**-Born in the Flames**


	6. Karaoke

**A/N: I had quite a busy weekend so sorry for the few days wait. Anyways thanks again for the reviews, follows and favourites, they're always greatly appreciated! **

Chapter 6: Karaoke

"What a great movie!" Sakura exclaimed.

"I know right?! Remember when the ninja confessed his undying love for the princess?" Tenten asked excitedly.

"_I'd rather not," _Temari answered in her mind. The whole movie was torture to her, but she had to admit, if she didn't come she'd never have that one-sided magical moment with Shikamaru. She didn't even mind that he drooled a bit on her. Her eyes glanced at the pineapple head, but quickly turned again as her cheeks glowed a slight pink. _"What's happening?" _Temari asked herself, _"I don't actually like Shikamaru, do I? No, it's simply the after effects of that moment we had. A good sleep and I'll feel normal again." _Unfortunately for Temari the night wasn't coming to an end so quickly because just then Sakura spoke up.

"Hey, we shouldn't waste a night like this!" She said.

"Hm, what did you have in mind?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, there's the new karaoke place. Come on it would be fun!" Sakura suggested. The group looked at each other for a minute. Then one by one they agreed, except Temari.

"Y'know guys, I'm really tired," Temari desperately tried to explain, "Maybe another time, okay?"

"Oh, c'mon Temari! We'll only stay a short time," Sakura explained. This went on for a minute or two, Temari making excuses and either Sakura or Tenten trying to change her mind. Finally Shikamaru put a stop to it by saying, "I know it's a drag, but they won't leave you alone until you do come with us. Even if you do manage to weasel your way out they'll only pout with you until the cows come home."

"Fine, but only for a short time," Temari said in defeat.

The karaoke place was actually pretty cool. It had many strobe lights, a bar and heaps of comfortable chairs. There was quite a crowd there and they had to wait for a free table. "Must be a good place," Neji guessed.

"Look at how many people there are," Naruto exclaimed in awe.

"Well, it did just open," Sakura said, "People have been dying for a new place to hang out." Finally they were all seated and had ordered their drinks, Temari got sake. They sat there sipping their beverages and chatting happily. Tenten and Neji were in deep conversation and Naruto was telling a dramatic story to Sakura, Kiba and Lee. While Temari, Shikamaru and Hinata sat in silence. Temari attempted conversation with Hinata, but it was so hard to get words out of the shy girl that she eventually gave up. She then turned to drinking sake in silence in order to break the boredom. "Alright, get your game faces' on because it's time to show these amateurs what we got!" Sakura announced. Even though it was followed by groans of protest everyone did sing a song in the end. The highlight was Naruto and Kiba's duet of Hero's Come Back by Nobodyknows+, everyone was into it as the two guys rapped, clapped and sang like they had rehearsed it. Eventually it was only Shikamaru who hadn't done a song yet. He sighed and said it was a drag, but everyone begged (and threatened) him that he had to give up in the end. "What song do you want to sing?" Sakura asked.

"You pick, it's too troublesome to choose," Shikamaru replied as he sighed once again. She nodded and was just about to punch something in when Naruto interrupted.

"Wait, I got the perfect one!" Naruto said and put in a song.

"_Oh no, whatever song that idiot chose it's definitely not good for me," _Shikamaru thought, _"What a drag." _When the music started playing and he sung the first few lines he knew why Naruto had chosen it. It was Just the Girl by Click Five and as the lyrics flowed from his mouth he couldn't help but think of the spunky, blonde kunoichi from Suna. As the chorus played, his eyes moved to Temari and their eyes locked. This was a chance to pour out his feelings, but in a way that he could just make an excuse why he wasn't. Temari couldn't know, not yet anyway. Shikamaru was a strategist, he needed to know every possible angle and know exactly what Temari thought of him before going in. It's easier said than done because the moves in romance are much more unpredictable than in battle or Shougi. So for the rest of the song the lazy cloud gazer sang to his Temari.

Back at the table Temari noticed the sudden eye contact. _"I-is Shikamaru singing to me?" _Temari thought. She drankk down another small glass of sake and looked up again; he was still looking at her. A blush glowed on her cheeks and in her discomfort she poured another glass and emptied it just as quickly. He was still staring! So she looked down, anything to avoid the gaze of those deep, beautiful eyes. _"Stop it Temari!" _She scolded herself,_ "Don't get carried away!" _She took another swig of sake. This went on for quite a while until when she was going for another drink a hand stopped her. Temari's gaze moved upwards to see Shikamaru standing there, she had no idea the song had ended. "I think you've had enough," he stated.

"Hm, I can drink as much as I want to," she retorted. With that she drunk another cup and stood up in order to face Shikamaru defiantly, but it didn't exactly work that way, she felt dizzy and as result she swayed. Shikamaru noticed this and in a split second decision he picked her up bridal style "I'm taking her home," Shikamaru said. Everybody nodded in agreement with expressions of worry on their face.

"I can walk fine," Temari said

"You can't walk fine, you're drunk," Shikamaru argued, "So troublesome." Temari continued her drunken protests, but Shikamaru ignored them and carried her all the way back to his apartment. There he gently placed Temari gently on her bed. "Good night," he said and was just about to walk outside when he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked behind him to see Temari had grabbed him. "Stay," she said.

"What?" Shikamaru asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"S-stay with me," She repeated, "I don't want to be left alone." She made room on the bed and Shikamaru with no choice lay down.

"What a drag," Shikamaru complained, but deep inside he was jumping for joy.

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it and don't forget to review! Until next time!**

**-Born in the flames**


	7. The After Effects

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favourites and follows, they mean a lot. :) **

Chapter 7: The After Effects

Temari woke and for some reason there seemed to be an extra-large pillow on her bed now. She snuggled up to it as she tried to soften the splitting headache she felt. "Troublesome woman, waking me up," the pillow said. Wait! The pillow talked?! Now that she thought about it when did a pillow move up and down like it was breathing?! Her eyes opened and they moved upwards to look into the irritated face of none other than Shikamaru Nara. But what was he doing in her bed she wondered. _"No, don't tell me," _Temari thought desperately, _"We didn't do THAT did we?"_ She tried to remember what had happened last night, but it was so hard. Shikamaru watched her with an amused expression on his face. "D-did we do it?" Temari timidly asked.

"Do what?" Shikamaru asked raising an eyebrow.

"Y'know IT," Temari pressed as a blush crept on her face.

"And what is IT?" Shikamaru asked innocently.

"Sex you idiot! Did we have sex or not?!" Temari demanded reaching the end of her patience.

"Geez woman, you don't need to shout," Shikamaru complained, "And no we didn't have sex. I'm not a guy that takes advantage of a woman."

"Then what are you doing in my bed?"

"Don't you remember? You asked me to stay with you last night. Besides we're both fully clothed, aren't we?"

"Oh, right." They lay there in silence for a bit longer and both were secretly enjoying the other's close company. Temari starting to feel uncomfortable quickly got up, but as soon as she did she lay down again because of a sharp pain in her head. "What's the matter?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just a headache," she answered.

"You shouldn't drink so much, y'know," Shikamaru advised, "It was a drag carrying you."

"Well you didn't have to," Temari grumbled as Shikamaru just shrugged and got up, "Where're you going?"

"Just getting mother so she can look after you," Shikamaru replied, "It's a drag, but I'll be off at the next festival committee meeting. You just stay here and rest." Temari tried to protest, but he quickly left the room and she wasn't able to finish. So with nothing else to do she did as Shikamaru asked and tried to rest, but it wasn't long when she felt something suddenly coming back up her throat! As fast as she could she got up, took the rubbish bin (the closest possible thing) and let it all out. Midway through her spew session the door burst open and a head poked in. The head belonged to none other than Shikamaru. She absolutely hated when people saw her sick, especially if it was him. He was just about to say something, but stopped when he took in the scene. "Get out!" Temari shouted and he immediately did as she said.

Fifteen minutes later Shikamaru entered the room with Yoshino at his side. His mother took a look at Temari and even scolded her for drinking too much, but in a manner that it seemed she just wanted to care for her. "I have just the thing to help you feel better," Yoshino said once she had finished her inspection.

"Thank you, Mrs Nara," Temari said.

"How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Yoshino," Yoshino insisted, "Shikamaru keep her company while I go and prepare the medicine."

"What a drag," Shikamaru complained.

"It is no such thing! You are helping a lovely girl feel better!" Yoshino scolded as she hit him on the head. With that she stormed out of the room.

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru grumbled when the door had slammed shut. The two, left alone, just sat there in awkward silence. Eventually Shikamaru moved to the window in order to look out and watch the clouds roll by. It wasn't long after that he felt a close presence and turned his head to see Temari standing beside him. "Hm, what are you doing up? You should rest," Shikamaru instructed.

"I want to tell you something," she said, "I've been feeling strange things lately."

"And …?" Shikamaru pressed.

"Well …" Temari bit her lower lip.

"_Damn she looks cute like that," _Shikamaru thought.

"I want to know how you feel about me." Shikamaru was both stunned and shocked. He had no idea what to say! Should he play it safe and gather more information before diving head first? Or take a leap of faith like his father had advised? Why was it so difficult to decide?! If he was faced with a situation like this in battle he could quickly calculate the facts and think of the best possible action, but now he was simply stumped on what to do. He wanted to say that he loved her, that he would do anything to protect her and other cheesy things like that, but in the end he simply said, "N-no, we're simply friends. I have no special feelings for you."

"I-I see," Temari replied in a voice that was barely audible. She let herself fall back onto the bed with an expressionless face. It was just then that Yoshino burst back into the room.

"I'm ba …" She quickly stopped when the gloomy atmosphere hit her like a hammer, "What happened here? Did someone die or something?"

"Tch, I'm leaving," Shikamaru announced and with his head down strode out. Temari just lay there as her heart shattered. She didn't know why, she didn't even like Shikamaru, but her sadness told her otherwise. And why did his rejection hurt more than any wound could. It couldn't be possible, it just couldn't! She couldn't possibly be falling for him, could she?

**A/N: Short I know, but hope you guys enjoyed chapter 7 anyway! Don't forget to review and feel free to call Shikamaru an idiot. Until next time!**

**-Born in the Flames**


	8. Help

**A/N: Sorry for the long update, I've been kept busy by school and other things; as a result I've had little time to write. Anyways again I have to thank you all for the lovely reviews, follows and favourites!**

Chapter 8: Help

"What's taking him so long?!" Naruto complained.

"Calm down Naruto," Tenten advised, "I'm sure there's a good reason for why he's late."

"Yeah right! He's probably just cloud gazing or sleeping!" Naruto retorted.

"Or he could be looking after Temari," Sakura suggested, "She wasn't looking too good when they left."

"Ah, can you stop mentioning that!" Ino protested, "The one night I decide to be good and work, I find out the next day you all went to that new karaoke place!"

"You should definitely be more youthful, Ino!" Lee loudly advised.

"Shut it, Lee," Ino snapped.

"Anyway we should really start the meeting," Neji counselled, "If we're too dependent on Shikamaru and Temari we won't get anything done by ourselves. So let's get down to business." Everyone nodded their agreement and sat down to discuss matters of the peace of festival. They looked over Ino's designs that she made the night before, agreed that Naruto could use shadow clones to use as a construction crew and stuff like that. Then they started to talk about food and all turned to Chouji's usual spot, but were all surprised that he wasn't there. The shinobi in question was in another part of Konoha and on a mission of his own.

Shikamaru lay down in his favourite cloud gazing spot. His face turned toward the heavens as he contemplated the day's events. _"Did I do the right thing?" _He asked himself. He could still see the hurt expression on Temari's face as he told her the lie. The lie that he didn't feel anything special for her when in fact the intelligent ninja felt so many things for her that he was confused. Never in his life had he been confused, he'd always been able to see clearly what was happening around him and be able to make the best choice almost instantly, but not this time. He couldn't get a good read on Temari, one minute she was yelling at him and the next she was soft, timid and asking him about his feelings. _"Troublesome woman," _Shikamaru thought, but did he mean it? Did he really think she was pain or was she a breath of fresh air that he desperately needed? He didn't know. As the thoughts swirled through his head a voice interrupted him saying, "I thought you'd be here." Shikamaru looked to see Chouji there with his ever present bag of potato chips. The lazy cloud gazer simply ignored him and continued his gazing. "Everyone's waiting for you," Chouji informed Shikamaru as he took a seat, "The meeting's started." Shikamaru just shrugged.

"So, what's troubling you Shikamaru?" Chouji asked.

"Nothing …" Shikamaru simply replied.

"I've been your friend too long, Shikamaru to know that something is troubling you," Chouji pressed, "It's a girl, isn't it?"

"What! How did you know?!" Shikamaru exclaimed as he jolted up.

"I didn't, I was just looking for a reaction," Chouji explained with a cheesy grin on his face.

"Fine, you got me. Such a drag," Shikamaru sighed in defeat as he lay back down again, "Sometimes I think you're smarter than me." Chouji laughed and offered him some potato chips which Shikamaru gladly took.

"It's Temari, right?" Chouji continued.

"How did you know?" Shikamaru asked surprised.

"You've been acting weird ever since she arrived, more aloof than usual," Chouji said, "Ino think it's her charm finally working." Shikamaru chuckled and was just about to ask something when he shook his head.

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out," Shikamaru concluded and abruptly left.

"Wait! You haven't told me the problem yet!" Chouji called after him.

Shikamaru walked through the streets of Konoha deep in thought, trying to think of a plan to correct whatever mistake he made, but nothing came to mind. He just didn't know a woman's mind well enough and as a result all his plans were filled with so many 'what ifs'. He sighed and wondered why women were so troublesome. He walked into a restaurant in order to take a break from thinking so hard when he saw a familiar head of pink hair. Who better to ask about the mind of women than a woman? So he took the seat across from her without asking. "Oh, hi Shikamaru, why weren't you at the meeting?" Sakura asked not displaying any kind of surprise.

"I was cloud gazing, but I need your help," Shikamaru said.

"Oh, okay," She replied a bit sceptically, "What about?"

"It's about Temari, but I want you to keep this between us okay?" Shikamaru explained.

"My lips are sealed," Sakura confirmed and Shikamaru told her everything that happened, including his lie. When he finished Sakura sat there in shock.

"Wow, for a genius that was a dumb move," she finally said.

"Troublesome, what did I do?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well, she obviously likes you and you just erased all hope that you feel the same way," Sakura explained, "She's probably crying her eyes out right now."

"Temari crying? I doubt it," Shikamaru scoffed.

"Trust me, rejection is sharper than any weapon in the world," Sakura said.

"Then what do I do?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Don't worry, leave it to me," Sakura assured him as a devious look appeared in her eye and Shikamaru didn't like it at all. What was she planning?

**A/N: Short I know and with little action, but I felt the need to set up the next chapter. Hoped you enjoyed it anyways! Don't forget to review. Until next time, the next chapter will be up soon (I hope :P ).**


	9. A Date

**A/N: Hey everyone! To all those that reviewed and followed, thank you so much! And also a reply to avatarlemon, I'm on the Australian curriculum so yeah I've been doing school. Anyways hope you guys enjoy this update. **

Chapter 9: A Date?

It has been a week since Shikamaru had asked Sakura for advice and well, his relationship with Temari had hit an all-time low. She was avoiding him, only talking to him when it was about the Peace Festival, eating out all the time and only coming to his apartment late at night so she was sure he was asleep. It was quite troublesome for the love struck lazy shinobi. On the other hand the plans for the Peace Festival had been going great and they had all been making a lot of progress. The plans were about to go through final inspection by the Hokage, construction was due to start next week and Sakura was almost ready to send out the invitation to the feudal Lords and other important guests. Though it was all just a blur to Shikamaru, his only thoughts were of the blonde headed kunoichi from Suna. Then finally after one of their meetings had finished Sakura pulled him aside and said, "I've come up with a plan to help you get in the good books with Temari again."

"What took you so long? I've been dying," Shikamaru complained.

"I had to make some arrangements," Sakura replied.

"Troublesome, anyways what's your big plan?" Shikamaru asked.

"It's quite simple really, the whole thing just depends on what you do," Sakura explained.

"Well then spit it out," Shikamaru said getting impatient.

"You're going to take Temari on a date," Sakura said and started to tell him the plan. When she had finished Shikamaru had to admit that it was ingenious and if it worked he and Temari would be friends again … or maybe more.

Back at Shikamaru's apartment Temari lay on her bed as she stared at the ceiling. She was in deep thought, asking herself why she was acting the way she was. Her mind told her that she shouldn't be so silly, that she had no feelings for him and he had none for her and that was the end of it, but her heart told her different. She couldn't help her heart beating faster every time she saw Shikamaru, she couldn't help her body tingling every time he came close. What was wrong with her? She had been trying to tell herself over and over that she no feelings for him whatsoever, but to no avail. It was because of these feelings that his rejection was even more painful than it should've been, it was the reason it felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. Just then there was a knock on the door. "Go away, Shikamaru!" she yelled. Despite her protest the door started creaking open. In anger and frustration she threw a pillow at the widening crack of the door. Just as a head of pink hair peeked into the door the pillow hit it right in the face. Wait a second, pink hair?! As the pillow slipped down it revealed none other, than Sakura who was trying to fake a smile, but irritation and annoyance was seeping through. "Oh, Sakura, I'm so sorry!" Temari exclaimed.

"No, no it's fine," Sakura assured her with a fake laugh, "I get hit in the face by pillows all the time."

"Uh huh," Temari said unimpressed, "Anyways why're you here, Sakura? Is something wrong with the invitations?"

"Nah, everything's fine on my end," Sakura replied as she sat down on the bed next to Temari, "It's you who I'm worried about."

"Me?" Temari asked bewildered.

"Yeah, you've been acting distant towards us all week, especially Shikamaru," Sakura explained, "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Temari shrugged and lay back down on the bed, trying to think of the best way to put it or whether to tell Sakura at all. Finally she made up her mind.

"Have you ever felt like you're life has broken into a million pieces and yet you have no idea why?" Temari asked. She went on to tell Sakura everything that happened over the past week. Sakura nodded and gasped at the appropriate moments. It was nothing she hadn't heard before, Shikamaru had told her everything already, but she just wanted to hear Temari's side of the story. It was as expected; it was with no doubt that Temari liked Shikamaru. All Temari needed was a push and Sakura's plan was bound to do just that. When Temari finished her story it was time for Sakura to speak up. "I know just what you need," Sakura announced, "Meet me on the top of the Hokage Tower at seven, okay?" And before Temari could answer Sakura had already bolted out the door.

A few hours later Shikamaru was in Sakura's room standing in front of a mirror. Sakura sat on the bed admiring her work. "You look good," Sakura complimented and Shikamaru had to agree with her. He was wearing a dark green button up shirt with a loose black tie and slim fitted black jeans. It was simple, but it worked. "Temari definitely likes you, so all you have to do is show that you do too," Sakura reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know already," Shikamaru complained, "Troublesome woman."

"Hey! Do you want my help or …" Sakura was interrupted by Shikamaru suddenly standing in front of her.

"Sakura, thank you," He said as he bent down and kissed her cheek. With that he swiftly left the room to his date and hopefully to a mended relationship. Sakura just sat there for a minute, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. The place where Shikamaru's lips pressed against her skin felt warm and tingly. She shook her head because she knew that Shikamaru was Temari's and only Temari's. Her time for love hadn't come yet. _"Go get her, Shikamaru," _Sakura thought.

Later, on top of Hokage's Tower stood Temari. She had a look of irritation and annoyance on her face as she looked at the green blanket laid on the floor and the picnic basket. "Sakura, for your sake I hope this is a joke!" Temari yelled, "I like you and all, but not that way!" Just then movement caught her eye and she turned to see Shikamaru.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm the one you're meeting," Shikamaru said. They stood there a moment, staring at each in silence. Shikamaru was waiting for her reaction, but what he didn't see was a storm brewing beneath the surface of the blonde kunoichi. Her anger was swirling and she wanted to cry and yell at the same time. She chose the latter and screamed, "Teme!" She charged at Shikamaru fist raised ready to make him pay for making her feel weak and rejected.

"_Troublesome," _Shikamaru thought, _"This isn't going too well."_

**A/N: So there you go chapter 9, hope you all enjoyed it! I'll have a special treat for you guys next time since it's a special time … this fanfic will reach double digits in chapters! See you guys next time and don't forget to review!**

**-Born in the Flames**


	10. Special NightSinister Plot

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favourites! So without further ado, let's get on with this very special chapter! To celebrate this fanfic reaching the tenth chapter we have a double chapter with double the content! Enjoy!**

Chapter 10: A Special Night/A Sinister Plot

Temari's was on fire, her anger burning red hot just at the sight of the lazy cloud gazer, Shikamaru Nara! She wanted to hurt the man that made her weak, the man that made her hurt worse than any injury she had in battle! Shikamaru was going to pay! Once she got into striking range she let a haymaker fly, aimed at Shikamaru's face, but he was too quick for her and jumped upwards. Then in mid-air he did a front flip and as soon as he hit the ground he made the rat hand seal and announced, "Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu!" His shadow extended toward Temari, but she was able to quickly jump out of the way and from a pouch she was wearing on her waist she took out three kunai and threw them at him! Shikamaru was able to escape the barrage, but not unscathed, a kunai managed to scrape past his leg making a shallow gash. "What kind of woman brings kunai to a date?!" Shikamaru demanded, "Are you trying to kill me?!" Then all of sudden as quick as a blink of an eye Temari was on top of Shikamaru straddling his chest with her fist raised. They stayed in that position for a moment staring into the depth of each other's eyes. Shikamaru finally broke the silence by saying, "Well, are you going to hit me or what?" But to his surprise Temari's fist fell and her head hit his chest as fierce tears ran down her face.

"W-what?! Temari what's wrong?" Shikamaru asked bewildered.

"Shut up, Idiot," Temari said through her sobs, "Are you blind?!"

"What?! What do you mean?!"

"Can't you see that I love you?!" The words came out before Temari fully comprehended what she was saying. Nevertheless the words were from her heart and both she and Shikamaru knew that they were the truth. Temari with a bright red blush buried her face into Shikamaru's chest once again. _"Any minute now, Shikamaru's going to start laughing," _Temari thought, but what she got was quite different, what she got was a deep sigh. "Troublesome," Shikamaru said, "I guess now I have to tell you my feelings too, huh." Temari looked up with a look of both surprise and hope on her face.

"Y-your feelings?" Temari asked.

"Temari, in the past, I made some bad mistakes," Shikamaru confessed, "I acted like an idiot that was ignorant to your feelings. I thought it was too risky to take a chance with my heart, but now I know that if you don't take a leap of faith you'll never get anywhere. See, the truth is … is that I love you too, Temari." The blonde headed kunoichi lay there in shock for a minute, Shikamaru's words echoing through her mind. Could it be possible? Could it really be possible that Shikamaru loves her as well? Without thinking she grabbed him by the collar and got right up into his face as she started yelling, "So, you made me feel weak, made me cry myself to sleep, made me blurt out my feelings through rivers of tears just because it was too 'risky'?!"

"What a drag, I …" Shikamaru was interrupted by Temari planting her lips on his. For a moment Shikamaru was so shocked that he didn't kiss back and once Temari noticed this she quickly broke away. Embarrassed with an even redder blush on her cheeks, she muttered an apology and began getting off Shikamaru, but without warning a hand grabbed her kimono and pulled her toward the lazy cloud gazer. This time when their lips met Shikamaru kissed her with passion that he didn't know he had. When they parted Shikamaru said, "Don't think you're getting away from me that easily." It was a perfect night, clear sky with thousands of stars hanging in the air and two people who had been brave enough to confess their feelings. Yes, it was definitely the start of something good. _"Love's a drag," _Shikamaru thought, _"But it's worth it." _

The next day Kotetsu and Izumo walked onto the top of the Hokage Tower to find a surprise waiting for them. Temari and Shikamaru were in each other's arms fast asleep. "Hey, wake up," Kotetsu said as he shook the pair. Very groggily the two slowly opened their eyes and once seeing they had an audience they quickly let go of one another as a blush spread like a wild fire.

"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone … unless you want us to," Izumo assured them.

"What do you mean we? I'm going post these pics for the whole world to see!" Kotetsu announced as he showed his camera and on the screen was a picture of Shikamaru and Temari asleep in each other's arms, "It's a sign that our little Shikamaru has finally become a man!"

"Can you shut up?" Shikamaru complained, "It's such a drag." Kotetsu was just about to answer when an angry hand snatched the camera out of his grasp and through it hard to the ground, shattering it. The hand belonged to a very annoyed Temari who gave Kotetsu one of her death stares. The man gulped as Temari threatened, "No one will ever hear about this, understand?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Kotetsu immediately replied giving an unnecessary salute.

"Anyways it's a good thing we found you guys," Izumo cut in as both Shikamaru and Temari raised their eyebrows in a questioning look, "Lady Tsunade has been looking for you. A messenger hawk came from Sunagakure this morning."

"What?!" Temari exclaimed, "What did it say?!"

"I don't know," Izumo replied, "But they didn't send Takamaru, so I'm sure it's not urgent. Anyways you two should probably get going."

"Right," Shikamaru and Temari said at the same time.

When they arrived they found out that the urgency really wasn't needed because Tsunade was fast asleep with her face planted on the desk as drool dripped from her mouth. "Well, at least we know it's not an emergency," Shikamaru said and went to try to wake the sleeping Hokage. After a minute or two of nudging her and calling out her name there was still no luck. Shikamaru shrugged, but all of a sudden her eyes snapped open and screamed at the top of her lungs, "I want my sake!" And with a sudden move her fist shot upwards and hit Shikamaru right in the jaw sending him sky high!

Shikamaru stood in the Hokage's office with a bandage on his chin and an irritated expression displayed on his face. Tsunade with a slightly embarrassed face cleared her throat and said, "I've summoned you this morning regarding a letter sent from Sunagakure this morning." Temari and Shikamaru nodded and Tsunade continued, "The letter requested that Temari return to Sunagakure to report on how the Peace Festival is going."

"What! So soon! She just got here a week ago," Shikamaru said, "We've only just got the preliminary plans done, there's nothing to report."

"That may be, but these are orders," Tsunade explained, "Besides I reckon Temari is probably feeling homesick about now."

"I don't know, but there's something that just doesn't seem right about this," Shikamaru complained as a heavy silence filled the room, but he broke the silence after a minute saying, "But if it's a must, I will accompany Temari as an escort."

"No, Shikamaru you're needed here. Or have you forgotten you're the other organizer for the Peace Festival," Tsunade reminded him, "Without you or Temari the festival committee will be without a leader, but if you're that worried I can send …"

"No," Temari interrupted, "I'll be fine on my own. I've travelled that road thousands of times when I was organizing the Chunin Exams, plus I pretty sure I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry about me Shikamaru or is it so hard for you not to be with me for a couple of days." Shikamaru clenched his teeth and turned his face away, for some reason the whole thing just seemed off to him.

"Okay then it's settled, Temari will head off for Sunagakure first thing tomorrow," Tsunade announced.

Shikamaru didn't sleep a wink that night; the whole business of Temari having to go back just seemed suspicious. He didn't know why, but he just felt that something bad would happen. _"No time for that now," _Shikamaru thought, _"Temari will be leaving soon, I better get dressed."_ So with that he got out of bed and put on his regular clothes. As expected Temari wasn't in the apartment, she was probably heading toward the city gate and without further ado Shikamaru went after her.

At the city gate Temari was saying goodbye to her friends. She was trying to assure them that she would be gone only for a few days, but they acted as if she was going to be gone forever. After being able to pacify them she started on her journey, but before she got even a few steps a voice from the shadows said, "What, you're going to leave without saying goodbye, troublesome woman?" Temari turned her head to see Shikamaru leaning on a tree.

"Of course I wouldn't, you just looked so cute while you slept that I didn't want to disturb you," Temari teasingly explained.

"You watched me sleep? So what, you're a stalker now?" Shikamaru playfully retorted as he walked toward her. He stopped when their bodies were only a few centimetres apart. He looked down into her eyes and she looked up into his. For a minute they just stood there until Shikamaru slowly leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Temari's lips. After they gently parted he took her into a loving embraced and said, "Promise me you'll be careful."

"Hey, don't worry," Temari assured him, "I'm a Jonin from Suna remember, no one can defeat me." She playfully stuck out her tongue at him and lightly took herself from his embrace. Then with a wave she started walking down the road. Shikamaru stood there watching her back until it disappeared from view. He sighed and thought, _"Temari, I really mean it … be careful." _

In Sunagakure, Gaara stood ontop of Kazekage Tower and gazed out at the village. Suddenly a Sand Chunin appeared behind him and said, "Lord Kazekage."

"Yes," Gaara replied, "What is it?"

"Troubling news Lord Kazekage," the Chunin began, "See, we received a letter today from Konoha informing us that our wishes had been granted and Temari had been sent back to Suna to report on the organization of the Peace Festival, but we …"

"Never sent such a letter," Gaara finished.

"Exactly, we believe Temari could be in grave danger," the Chunin explained.

"Quick send a rescue unit to search the road from here to Konoha and send a reply letter to the Hokage explaining the situation," Gaara ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The Chunin answered and disappeared. Gaara continued gazing, but this time his stare was set on the horizon.

"_Temari …" _Gaara thought.

On the road Temari hummed softly as she walked, not knowing that she was now in the middle of a sinister plot. In fact she felt like she was on cloud nine! Just as she was remembering Shikamaru's confession, the bushes to her right rustled and a split second later a multitude of kunai burst right at her! She was able to jump out of the way, but was a second too late and several kunai created gashes on her arms, legs and torso. An ominous male voice chuckled in the direction that the weapons came from and suddenly someone exploded from the shadows. What Temari saw made her jaw drop. What she saw was …

**A/N: Cliff-hanger! Sorry for being evil, but I can't help it, the opportunity for some good suspense was just too tempting. Anyhow hope you guys liked the double chapter and please review! I'll catch you all next time!**

**-Born in the Flames**


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